This was combined with a motif designed by the lab's co-founder Muriel Cooper for MIT Press in 1962 – a minimal configuration of seven vertical lines.

The Pentagram team used The's grid to generate a simple ML monogram for the main logo, then created similar designs for each of the 23 research groups that operate under the Media Lab's umbrella.

"The result is an interrelated system of glyphs that at once establishes a fixed identity for the Media Lab, but celebrates the diversity of activity that makes the Lab great," said Pentagram.

The underlying grid also led to the creation of a set of way-finding icons and a custom typeface, though Helvetica is used for the majority of text across the visual branding and other graphics.

"Helvetica, so central to MIT's communications when the Media Lab was new, has been reinstated to support the overall system," said Pentagram.

The icons are implemented on signage across the lab's building in Cambridge, Massachusetts, including on wall displays, lift shafts and information boards.

The brief to combine the two historic designs came from a group at the Media Lab, which included co-founder Nicholas Negroponte, Tangible Media group head and Lab associate director Hiroshi Ishii, Mediated Matter group head Neri Oxman and communications director Ellen Hoffman.

MIT Media Lab's website, stationery and accessories have all been updated with the monochrome graphics.

The new identity was unveiled at the Media Lab's 2014 Fall Members Meeting, for which Fay extended the visual language to create different graphic iterations of the word Deploy – the theme of the conference.

MIT Media Lab's first identity was developed by graphic designer Jacqui Casey and featured an adaptable motif of coloured bars, influenced by an installation that artist Kenneth Noland created for the centre's first home designed by architect I M Pei.

"There is no more significant issue on earth than its survival," Glaser told Dezeen. "The questions is, 'how can anyone not be involved?'"

He designed a simple visual for posters and button badges, comprising a green disk obscured by black smoke.

The graphic suggests an aerial view of the Earth with only a narrow band of life remaining. The green section is printed in glow-in-the-dark ink for maximum impact.

"I can never answer the question of how ideas originate, and apparently, neither can anyone else," said Glaser. "But, symbolically, the disappearance of light seemed to be an appropriate way to begin."

Badges are available to buy from the campaign's website at $5 for five – sold in sets to reduce costs and to encourage people to give them away to friends, family members and colleagues. All proceeds will be put towards the production and distribution of more badges.

"If half the people on earth wear the button even the 'masters of the universe' will be moved to action," said Glaser, referring to the large corporations he says have prevented significant action to protect the planet against the changing climate.

People are also encouraged to spread the word by posting pictures of themselves wearing the badge via social media channels using the hashtag #itsnotwarming.

"Those of us responsible for communicating ideas to others must bear the burden of the consequences of such communication," Glaser said. "If one is looking for a purpose and theme to their life, avoiding the worst event in human history is a good place to begin."

"I hope people will respond by acknowledging what is real," he added.

New York's School of Visual Arts (SVA), where Glaser is acting chairman and a faculty member, has erected a poster featuring the campaign slogan on the exterior of its East 23rd Street building. The SVA is also distributing free buttons on college campuses nationwide through its network of institutions in the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design (AICAD).

]]>http://www.dezeen.com/2014/08/04/milton-glaser-its-not-warming-its-dying-climate-change-campaign/feed/28New Airbnb logo: "someone didn't do their homework"http://www.dezeen.com/2014/07/17/new-airbnb-logo-comparisons-automotive-anywhere-habitat-genitalia/
http://www.dezeen.com/2014/07/17/new-airbnb-logo-comparisons-automotive-anywhere-habitat-genitalia/#commentsThu, 17 Jul 2014 11:48:34 +0000http://admin.dezeen.com/?p=498282News: Airbnb has come under fire from designers for the similarity between its new logo and existing branding for other companies, while social media users have been quick to draw comparisons with human genitalia. London-based DesignStudio has sparked controversy with its rebrand for home stay company Airbnb, with leading designers highlighting the close similarity between the new logo […]

News: Airbnb has come under fire from designers for the similarity between its new logo and existing branding for other companies, while social media users have been quick to draw comparisons with human genitalia.

London-based DesignStudio has sparked controversy with its rebrand for home stay company Airbnb, with leading designers highlighting the close similarity between the new logo – called Bélo – and existing symbols used by other brands.

Leading German designer and typographer Erik Spiekermann took to social network Twitter to point out the similarity between Bélo, which launched last night, and the logo for IT firm Automation Anywhere.

Airbnb and Automation Anywhere released a joint statement acknowledging the issue, suggesting that Airbnb will not ditch its rebrand:

"In early 2014 both Airbnb and Automation Anywhere began use of new logos that, by coincidence, have similar designs. Airbnb and Automation Anywhere are working cooperatively to address this issue, and Automation Anywhere is in the process of transitioning to a new logo design that is not similar to the Airbnb logo."

]]>http://www.dezeen.com/2014/07/17/new-airbnb-logo-comparisons-automotive-anywhere-habitat-genitalia/feed/32Airbnb rebrand by DesignStudio aims for visual consistencyhttp://www.dezeen.com/2014/07/16/airbnb-rebrand-designstudio-logo-belo/
http://www.dezeen.com/2014/07/16/airbnb-rebrand-designstudio-logo-belo/#commentsWed, 16 Jul 2014 16:52:33 +0000http://admin.dezeen.com/?p=497898News: London branding agency DesignStudio has created a new identity for home-rental website Airbnb, including a logo "that can be drawn by anyone". Airbnb asked DesignStudio to overhaul its identity, website and mobile interface and create a consistent visual signature for the company, which was founded by design graduates Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia in 2008. Related story: New Airbnb […]

News: London branding agency DesignStudio has created a new identity for home-rental website Airbnb, including a logo "that can be drawn by anyone".

Airbnb asked DesignStudio to overhaul its identity, website and mobile interface and create a consistent visual signature for the company, which was founded by design graduates Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia in 2008.

"They'd never really sat down and said 'let's give this a look, let's think about how this works as a design language'," DesignStudio executive creative director James Greenfield told Dezeen.

Airbnb website homepage

Throughout the project, DesignStudio decamped to Airbnb's San Francisco headquarters for extended periods of time to learn more about the company and share ideas with employees.

Airbnb website screenshot

Members of the DesignStudio team also travelled around the world and stayed in Airbnb-listed accommodation to gain user perspectives from both listers and guests.

Airbnb website listing page

Using the brand principle of "belong anywhere", the designers came up with a symbol - called the "Bélo" - which they thought would become easily recognised internationally.

Airbnb website screenshot

"The idea we finally settled on was creating a brand that anyone can draw, something that went beyond language and becomes a universal mark," said Greenfield.

Airbnb mobile site homepage

The symbol is designed to represent three things: a person with their arms above their head, a location marker, an upside-down heart – people, places and love – as well as resemble the letter A.

Airbnb logo variation

It is used with a simple font, chosen so that it could be more easily read by users who aren't used to reading Roman characters.

The logo can be customised by anyone using an online tool. The company hopes that listers will create their own versions to stick in windows, label possessions that guests can borrow and brand their properties.

Airbnb logo variation

Changes to the web interface have been made to create a simpler layout, which translates to the app for mobile devices for consistency.

British designer Ilse Crawford, who is working on a project with the company for this year's London Design Festival, told Dezeen that Airbnb is causing a sea-change in attitudes towards design by allowing people to experience stylish interiors first hand rather than via magazines and websites.

]]>American design firm Sagmeister & Walsh has created a new brand identity for New York's Jewish Museum based on traditional shapes used in Judaic symbolism (+ movies).

The Jewish Museum wanted "an engaging, exciting, contemporary branding that embodied the Jewish heritage and culture of the Museum."

Jewish Museum logo

Sagmeister & Walsh researched the origins of the Star of David and discovered "sacred geometry" – a geometric system created from calculations using numbers considered to have spiritual significance – from which they were able to create a new identity.

Typeface created by Sagmeister & Walsh for the Jewish Museum

Located in a seven-story mansion in the Upper East Side of Manhattan, the Jewish Museum is the preeminent museum in the United States devoted to Jewish art and culture, and one of the three largest in the world.

Typeface created by Sagmeister & Walsh for the Jewish Museum

Their collection, distinguished by its breadth and quality, includes some 30,000 items.

The "sacred grid" was used to create different shapes for lettering

The brief for Sagmeister & Walsh was to connect the historic and the contemporary, engaging multiple generations of visitors.

Folder for holding paper materials and business cards

"When we were studying the Star of David, we learned that it was created using sacred geometry," said studio co-founder Jessica Walsh.

Promotional flyer that uses Sagmeister & Walsh's typeface

"The origin of this geometry goes back to the belief that the universe was created according to a geometric plan. Its roots are in the study of mathematics, and many forms in nature can be related to this geometry," explained Walsh. "This geometry was used in the planning and construction of much religious art and architecture."

Sagmeister & Walsh designed icons to be used for signage

Using several grids that are considered part of sacred geometry, from the flower of life – a geometrical figure composed of evenly-spaced, overlapping circles – to tetrahedron patterns, Sagmeister & Walsh designed stationery, packaging, advertising campaigns, promotional materials, and a new website that will launch in June.

Sagmeister & Walsh designed icons, patterns, typography and illustrations using grids that are considered part of sacred geometry

"The foundation of the brand is based on Jewish symbolism, but the end result is contemporary," said Walsh.

Various Jewish Museum packaging designs

"We often create restrictions on our work which help guide us to a solution or concept. We do not find limitations like grids challenging, restrictions can actually help creativity thrive," she explained.

Promotional posters for the museum's exhibitions in the subway

"If you can do anything, it's often difficult to focus and you can get lost in all the possibilities. When you have a set of limitations like a grid, it can be easier to be creative."

A vibrant royal blue permeates through all the collateral. "Blue is an important colour in Jewish history, and we opted for a contemporary shade," said Walsh. "Again, we wanted the branding to be based on heritage, but look contemporary."

Sagmeister & Walsh built a processing app that turns a photo or webcam stream into a Jewish Museum illustration

To ensure any photography used in Jewish Museum communications fitted the new brand, Sagmeister & Walsh built a processing application that uses the same grid system to turn a photograph, or even a webcam stream, into bespoke Jewish Museum illustrations.

"This system invites surprise and flexibility across all media, while maintaining a unified visual language," explained Walsh.

Sagmeister & Walsh created full screen responsive website design that will adapt to every device and screen size

The brand identity is live across the Museum communications now and the website launches on 1 June 2014.